Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 169: Bloodstained Inner Court, Borrowing a Head for Use!
Half a year ago, Lu Fang was thrown into the imperial prison, and everyone sided with Chen Hong.

Last night, Lu Fang was secretly summoned back to the palace. Under Huang Jin's deliberate instructions, Chen Hong did not know the news until the morning.

Chen Honggong stood at the gate of the outer courtyard of the Silijian. All the eunuchs working in the Silijian, whether on duty or not, gathered in the outer courtyard and knelt on the ground in a black mass.

Soon, two young eunuchs led Huang Jin and supported Lu Fang back.

"Godfather!"

When Chen Hong saw Lv Fang from a distance, he lifted his robe and knelt down, calling out affectionately, "Finally you're back! Your son missed you so much!"

As he spoke, Chen Hong squeezed out a few tears.

"How are you, ancestor?" The greetings from the crowd of people in the yard dispersed the clouds above their heads.

Lu Fang stood at the gate of the courtyard, looked inside, looked at Chen Hong, and said, "Yes, you want me to die."

Lü Fang, who had seen through the life and death situation, turned a blind eye to Chen Hong's panic and said in a cold tone: "And you bunch of slaves, you are also thinking about my 'can't be at peace' in your hearts, right?"

The eunuchs who could enter the Imperial Household Department were basically Lu Fang's adopted children and grandchildren. Over the past six months, Lu Fang had seen through these people, and with the Emperor's order, he was too lazy to flatter them anymore.

Chen Hong knew the anger in Lv Fang's heart, so he also got angry and slammed his head on the ground. The brick was fine, but Chen Hong's head was broken and bleeding. After a brief moment of confusion, he raised his head and his face was covered in blood. It was not known whether it was because of the pain or something else. Chen Hong said in tears: "The sons and grandsons miss their godfather day and night. When they heard that the ancestor had returned, they all came here by themselves.

I know that my godfather is still angry with us, his unfilial children and grandchildren, but under the emperor’s wrath, my sons and grandchildren dare not offend him, for fear of bringing greater disaster to my godfather.

But ever since my godfather was imprisoned by the imperial court, I have been praying for him day and night, hoping that he can be released from prison as soon as possible, return to the inner court, and continue to teach us, his useless grandchildren.

No matter how many mistakes I made, they are all my son’s fault. If my godfather wants to blame me, then I can punish him. Even if he beats me to death, I won’t complain at all.”

Huang Jin immediately showed disdain on his face when he heard this.

There are too many loopholes in Chen Hong's words. When the Xin'an River flooded, the emperor was indeed furious, and no one in the imperial court or the inner court dared to mention it in front of the emperor.

Later, the Xin'an River flood was resolved, Chun'an County was rebuilt, Yan Song and Yan Shifan were executed, and Xu Jie was expelled from the court. The Emperor had almost vented all his anger.

But what about Chen Hong?

He spent the whole day eliminating dissidents in the inner court and rarely even had the chance to serve the Emperor. He was obsessed with power and never thought about his godfather in prison.

As for the matter of "praying", Huang Jin had heard of it, but it was somewhat different from what Chen Hong said. It was true that there were monks praying in Chen Hong's private residence, but they were asked by Chen Hong to pray to God to let him take the seal as soon as possible. During the prayer ceremony, it was possible to pray for the godfather to die early, but it was absolutely impossible to pray for the godfather to return safely.

Even Huang Jin could see through such a fake performance, let alone Lu Fang, who sneered, "Really?"

"Yes, godfather."

"Then why did I hear that after I was imprisoned, everyone in the inner court changed their words about you and removed the word 'two'?" Lu Fang revealed his murderous intent.

He held the seal for forty years.

The self-cultivation in recent years has made many eunuchs forget that when the emperor first ascended the throne and fought against the civil officials in the court, the Silijian was always at the forefront.

In July of the third year of Jiajing's reign, when Zuo Shunmen cried and remonstrated with the emperor, no one else dared to obey his order and carry out the execution. It was he who carried out the execution personally.

On that day, seventeen civil officials were beaten to death, shocking the entire Ming court.

Those who can reach high positions are all cold-hearted by nature.

Chen Hong knew that Lu Fang was really angry, and a chill rose in his heart. He hurriedly said, "Those were some ignorant slaves who shouted this in order to curry favor with me. I have arrested all of them and killed some of them according to family rules in the East Factory. I have left a few to be handed over to my godfather for disposal." As Chen Hong's voice fell, several eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department who had initially shouted "ancestors" under Chen Hong's coercion were brought over. They struggled, and their eyes were filled with resentment as they looked at Chen Hong.

There were not many eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department, and after years of getting along with each other, they were basically familiar with each other. Huang Jin noticed that these people were all silent and immediately realized something was wrong.

When I went forward to take a look, I was shocked to see that the mouths of these people were empty, without any tongues, and it was obvious that their tongues had been pulled out alive.

Moreover, the tendons in his hands and feet were all severed, so he couldn't dictate, let alone write.

All possibility of self-defense is eliminated.

Huang Jin looked at Chen Hong in disbelief. After these people shouted "ancestor" in their quick wit, they were favored by Chen Hong and their status in the Imperial Household Department rose sharply. They praised Chen Hong to everyone they met and said they were Chen Hong's dogs. When they worked for Chen Hong, they would do all the dirty and tiring work.

Only a few months later, in order to protect himself, Chen Hong had his tongue pulled out, his tendons in his hands and feet cut, and he was handed over to his godfather to be killed.

How can this be called cruel? It is simply inhumane.

"This is your man, how can I do it for you?"

Lu Fang saw through Chen Hong and said indifferently: "What are you waiting for?"

Chen Hong was stunned.

These people had all served as his lackeys, and it was known to everyone in the inner court. Pulling out their tongues and tearing out their tendons was cruel and heartless enough, and then he killed them with his own hands. Who in the inner court would dare to work for him in the future?
Can you not kill me?

Chen Hong raised his head and met Lu Fang's icy eyes. He trembled and said, "Drag him out and kill him, or else it will dirty my godfather's eyes!"

No tongue.

When he tried his best to make a sound, all he could do was wail. The grief and despair before death could be expressed without the need for words.

Many eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department who were kneeling in the outer courtyard were filled with resentment and fear as they looked at Chen Hong's back who was also kneeling on the ground.

However, Lu Fang did not intend to let Chen Hong go, nor his godsons and grandsons kneeling on the ground. He said, "Your Majesty is very dissatisfied with the chaos and inaction in the inner court over the past six months, and asked me to clean up the inner court. In my opinion, the eunuchs in the four departments, eight bureaus, and twelve prisons of the inner court are no longer necessary, Chen Hong."

"My son is here!"

"I'll leave it to you to behead him." Lu Fang walked into the courtyard and, supported by Huang Jin, walked towards the inner courtyard.

No matter what Chen Hong says, he will always do it.

When Lu Fang entered the inner courtyard, Chen Hong stood up, his face covered in blood and his ferocious expression made him look extremely terrifying.

In order to completely control the inner court, Chen Hong spent countless efforts to replace all the eunuchs in the twenty-four yamen with his own people. However, Lu Fang's return would wipe out all his efforts.

"Ancestor..." Several eunuchs from departments, bureaus and prisons hurriedly crawled to Chen Hong's feet, begging him to spare their lives.

"Lend me something?" Chen Hong said, stroking the head of a eunuch.

"what?"

"Your heads."

(End of this chapter)